A community capacity-building approach to educate mothers about toddlers’ & children’s oral health: An impact evaluation study.

This qualitative study will explore the social impacts provoked by the toddler & children-targeted health promotion program “Happy Smile” in small urban areas (state of São Paulo- Brazil). Mothers experiences within the program will be collected by the MITACS student , who will conduct interviews, informal conversations, and discussion groups to explore their understanding of the program, engagement facilitators and barriers, and adoption of new health practices. Changes on mother’s perceptions with regards to preventative oral daily practices, constituting as responsible healthy behaviors is the target sought social impact. The fieldwork will also include encounters with health promoters. The expected main outcome will be identification of hindering factors that would inform the refinement of program strategies and mass-education initiative. Moreover, this study may inform future similar Canadian initiatives, due to restrictive preventative oral care access for the same population.

Faculty Supervisor:

Margareth Zanchetta

Student:

Partner:

Universidade Estadual Paulista "Julio de Mesquita Filho"

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program:

Globalink Research Award